Date:         Wed, 30 Oct 2002 17:08:26 -0500
Reply-To:     Art@DrKendall.org
Sender:       "SPSSX(r) Discussion" <SPSSX-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         "Arthur J. Kendall" <Arthur.Kendall@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Re: Syntax to fill blank data
Comments: To: Mahbub Khandoker <Mahbub_Khandoker@camh.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Does this address your question? cut and paste the following syntax and
observe the output.
*if you just read the data in via list or fixed format the blanks will
be system missing.
*you can then  recode it to user missing and assign a value label.
new file.
data list list /ID      Age.
begin data
01      31
02      32
03
04      33
05      65
06
07      60
end data.
list.

new file.
data list fixed /ID 1-2     Age 9-10.
begin data
01      31
02      32
03
04      33
05      65
06
07      60
end data.
list.
recode age (sysmis = -1) (else=copy).
missing values age(-1).
value labels age -1 'unknown'.
list.

* or you can tell SPSS to treat blank fields as as specific value
(commonly zero or -1) and define that value as user missing.
new file.
set blanks = -1.
data list fixed /ID 1-2     Age 9-10.
begin data
01      31
02      32
03
04      33
05      65
06
07      60
end data.
missing values age(-1).
value labels age -1 'unknown'.
list.

Hope this helps.

Art
Art@DrKendall.org
Social Research Consultants
University Park, MD USA

Mahbub Khandoker wrote:

>Hi there,
>I have a SPSS data file with some data are  missing. How can I fill the
>blank filed by syntax?
>For example,
>
>ID      Age
>01      31
>02      32
>03
>04      33
>05      65
>06
>07      60
>
>I want to fill this blank age as sysmiss or "Unknown".
>Thanks in advance.
>Mahbub Khandoker
>
>
>